Transcultural Aspects of Cannabis Use: a Descriptive Overview of Cannabis Use across Cultures

Abstract

Purpose of Review This narrative review summarises cultural aspects of cannabis use across different (sub)cultures, nations, and gender, racial, and ethnic groups. Specifically, we aimed to overview historical and traditional contexts of cannabis use and physical and mental health-related correlates, as well as emerging cannabis-related policies and their impacts on medicinal and recreational use of cannabis. In addition, we discuss how cultural factors may affect cannabis use behaviours and sociocultural underpinnings of cannabis use disorder trajectories. Recent Findings Cannabis is the most widely cultivated, trafficked, and used illicit drug worldwide, although cannabis is being legalised in many jurisdictions. More than 4% of individuals globally have used cannabis in the last year. Being traditionally used for religious and ritualistic purposes, today cannabis use is interwoven with, and influenced by, social, legal, economic, and cultural environments which often differ across countries and cultures. Notably, empirical data on distinct aspects of cannabis use are lacking in selected underrepresented countries, geographical regions, and minority groups. Summary Emerging global policies and legislative frameworks related to cannabis use have impacted the prevalence and attitudes toward cannabis in different subcultures, but not all in the same way. Therefore, it remains to be elucidated how and why distinct cultures differ in terms of cannabis use. In order to understand complex and bidirectional relationships between cannabis use and cultures, we recommend the use of cross-cultural frameworks for the study of cannabis use and its consequences and to inform vulnerable people, clinical practitioners, and legislators from different world regions.

Fungal and mycotoxin contaminants in cannabis and hemp flowers: implications for consumer health and directions for further research

“…Cannabis sativa is a highly domesticated plant species that has been bred for hundreds of years to develop genotypes (i.e., strains) that are cultivated worldwide for medicinal, therapeutic, and recreational properties, as well as for grain, seed, and fiber [ Krane, 2020 ; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2020 ; Rafei et al, 2023 ]. The inflorescence tissues (which are also referred to as flowers or buds) are of significant economic value, since they can be used as dried flowers and as raw materials for cannabinoid extraction [ United States Department of Agriculture-Economics, Statistics and Market Information System (USDA ESMIS), 2023 ].…”